Explore life in the countryside at our five-star museum, farmhouse and historic working farm.

Our beautiful Clydesdale horses are one of the star attractions at the National Museum of Rural Life

The Wester Kittochside Farm at National Museum of Rural Life was owned and run by the Reid family for more than 400 years.

At the National Museum of Rural Life we have a significant collection of 20th-century harvesting machines in our large machinery store.

A Self-Led visit is free to book and allows you to explore the museum and farm at your own pace. Pick up a trail from the orientation area.

The National Museum of Scotland is housed in magnificent buildings. Find out about its striking architectural details below, and explore them further on your next visit to our Museum.

Discover the latest information about visiting our museums

From the early 20th century, the tractor helped to transformed farm life in Scotland. There are several examples on display in the collection at the National Museum of Rural Life, East Kilbride.

The National Museum of Scotland has become the first museum or gallery in Scotland available for exploration online via Google Arts & Culture’s Museum View experience.

Explore more at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our new Nature Track Packs.

Your journey of discovery starts here

Within the walls of Edinburgh Castle, the National War Museum tells the story of Scotland at war.

Wing your way to one of Scotland's top days out at East Fortune Airfield.

Between 29 November and 2 January we invited you to get creative and make art inspired by National Museums Scotland’s incredible collections and sites. There were 5 weekly themes to act as prompts for the challenge and get you thinking. As an extra twist, this year the themes were homophones– words that sound the same but have a different meaning, such as peace and piece. The Museum Art challenge was open to everyone - no experience necessary!

The National Museum of Rural Life is open and tickets are available to book online.

Learn more about what’s changed to help you plan your visit to the National Museum of Rural Life.

Explore inside the National Museum of Rural Life with your class using our themed trails.

The Wester Kittochside Farm at National Museum of Rural Life was owned and run by the Reid family for more than 400 years. Find out how the tenth laird and his family celebrated Christmas and New Year on the farm.

Plan the perfect trip to the National Museum of Rural Life

Mary Stewart's life was nothing if not eventful. Get the facts about her tumultuous life and death here.

Discover our new trail on a walk to the farm.

The history of the Reid family and farming on the Wester Kittochside farm National Museum of Rural Life.

More than 10 million objects make their home at the National Museum of Scotland. Discover the secrets of our treasures with this unique five-part series.

Explore the highlights of the museum and our working farm with this family trail.

In 2016, we celebrated 150 years since the magnificent building that houses the National Museum of Scotland first opened to the public. Explore the Museum’s history here.

Our working farm at the National Museum of Rural Life is home to Ayrshire, Aberdeen Angus and Highland cattle, Tamworth pigs, sheep, hens and Clydesdale horses.

National Museums Scotland are delighted to welcome back the University of Edinburgh Short Courses – a great way to explore our collections and their wider history with experts.

Discover objects on loan to the new Trimontium Museum in the Scottish Borders

Join curator Lydia Prosser for a guided virtual tour of our Kingdom of the Scots gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.

Discover the life of the National Bard through the collections of National Museums Scotland.

Visitors discovered some of the treasures within the National Museum Scotland's significant collection of oracle bones, the second largest in the world outside of China.

Explore a range of resources and offers for home education groups and individuals.

Long before the French Revolution, the Scots had invented and were using the beheading machine known as the Maiden. It was used to execute criminals and political opponents of the crown from 1564 to 1710.

After 4,000 years the plough is still with us and its development has been at a slow and steady pace but the basic technology has remained the same. Discover more about this essential tool through ploughs in our collection.

Learn where food comes from or how to make butter in one of our facilitator led workshops.

Join Chief Chebe as he takes you on two African storytelling adventures at the National Museum of Scotland.

Recreate your favourite museum objects and places using the LEGO you have at home!

Summer is usually the season for gala days and rural shows, including our own Heavy Horse Show. Celebrate the champions you know – family, friends or even pets - by making them a personalised rosette!

We’ve teamed up with upcyling experts Ostrero and artist Bryony Knox to create three paper-cut designs inspired by Scottish animals. Choose from a stately stag, a magical unicorn or a red squirrel! The designs are inspired by paper-cut art from Mexico . Look out for some examples in our Patterns of Life gallery.

Forts were not just military bases, they became the heart of communities

Maori craftsmanship and museum conservation bring to life one of our most unusual and intriguing objects.